Cursed
by boldlikeblack
Summary: Destiny gets the best of all of us in the end.  Post season 2, established Jyler friendship.  Rating for future slashy-goodness and bad language.
1. I

**Disclaimer: Totally don't own the Vampire Diaries. If I did, Jeremy and Tyler would have totally made out during 'Kill or Be Killed' when they were in Mayor Lockwood's office/den, because hello chemistry. I'm obviously not making any money from this, because I'm not L.J. Smith or the C'dubs.**

**A/N: This is my first dabble into TVD, usually I'm rocking out with Glee or Supernatural. I hope you dig it. You can take it however you like. I might continue it if enough people are interested. Click the review button and lemme know!**

**BBB**

In the end, it's an accident.

**BBB**

The sun is beating down and the forest smells like kindling. It's so hot that Tyler starts sweating the minute he steps out his front door. Jeremy is waiting on the stairs, dressed in baggy swim shorts and flip-flops. Tyler's nose wrinkles at the wet 'V' that stretches down from the collar of Jeremy's t-shirt and Jeremy just rolls his eyes in response. Tyler walks past him and Jeremy falls into step beside him as they reach the bottom of the stairs.

The cooler bag bumps against Tyler's hip as he and Jeremy walk to the swimming hole. Jeremy hasn't said a word yet, not even hello, and Tyler appreciates the silence. The heat is making his temper shorter than usual and Tyler knows that if Jeremy tries to make conversation, he'll just end up snapping at the taller boy and probably throwing a punch or two.

Thankfully, they make it to the swimming hole without incident. It's cooler by the water, but not much. Tyler wastes no time dumping the cooler bag on the ground, stripping off his shirt and kicking off his shoes. He's in the water as fast as his body will allow and it's complete bliss. He surfaces just in time to get a mouthful of water from Jeremy's tremendous cannonball.

Tyler shakes his head and swims in to shore, knowing Jeremy will follow eventually. He's halfway into his first beer when Jeremy sits down beside him. Tyler offers Jeremy a beer, which he accepts before shaking his head and showering Tyler with pond water.

Breathing carefully through his nose, Tyler reigns in his temper before wiping the water out of his eyes and glaring at Jeremy. "Dude," he says, "being able to shake dry like some mangy-ass dog is a sign you need a haircut."

Jeremy snorts. "That's ironic, coming from you," he says, taking a swig of his beer.

Tyler tries not to laugh, he really does. His family heritage isn't something to joke about, especially after everything that's happened in the past year, but in the end he's powerless to stop the laughter that comes howling out of him. Jeremy is laughing too, clutching his stomach and doubled over with tears in his eyes.

Tyler's wheezing by the time the laughing fit is through, but it's okay, because after his _eventful_ year, it feels beyond good to laugh. "So," he asks, catching his breath, "how'd it go with Faux-Lena?"

Jeremy pushes his wet hair out of his face and turns away, staring across the swimming hole into the trees. "Katherine is gone."

Tyler raises his eyebrows. "Like left town gone or like gone-gone?" he asks.

Jeremy picks at the threads of his shorts. "As in I staked her gone," he says simply, with a shrug of his shoulders.

Tyler doesn't know what to say. He knows that Katherine was an evil vampire bitch that deserved to be staked, after all the pain she'd caused Jeremy, Tyler's uncle, Caroline, Elena and the Salvatore brothers, but she was still an evil vampire bitch that looked exactly like Jeremy's sister, who he loved more than anything. So he settles for the obvious, placing a heavy hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "She was a bitch," he says, after a beat.

"That's what I like about being friends with you, Ty," Jeremy says with a little laugh, "I can always count on you to be bluntly honest."

Tyler rolls his eyes and drinks down the rest of his beer. It's not long before he feels Jeremy's eyes on him. He can even imagine the questioning look on his face. "What?" Tyler groans, crushing the beer can in his hand.

"What about Mason?" Jeremy asks.

Tyler leans back on his hands and sighs. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted to talk about, though he knew it was inevitable. He supposed today was a celebration of sorts; one good day after a string of shitty ones involving all things weird and supernatural in Mystic Falls. "Mason's gone too," he states.

Jeremy's hand is too tight on his forearm and Tyler feels the urge to grab his fingers and bend them backwards, but it's easy to ignore when he sees the concern in Jeremy's eyes. Instead, Tyler puts his hand on top of Jeremy's and pulls it loose. "Relax Jer," he says with a smile, "I didn't kill him, if that's what you're worried about."

Jeremy returns his smile half-heartedly and resumes picking at his shorts. For a long time they don't talk, but the birds fill the silence and it's not totally uncomfortable. At lot of their friendship in the past year has consisted of silence. At the beginning it bothered Tyler, just sitting around and saying nothing, but now he's okay with it. Jeremy's not exactly the most talkative guy in the world, unless he's kicking Tyler's ass at Halo. Jeremy is the king of X-Box trash-talking.

"I'm glad you didn't have to kill him," Jeremy says.

Tyler snorts in response. "You're just happy I didn't have to call you to help me hide the body."

Jeremy laughs. "That too," he says, "but I'm serious. I'm glad you didn't have to. You don't deserve to be stuck with that curse."

Tyler cracks open another beer in response and chugs it down. "He didn't want to leave, you know," Tyler explains, "he was actually happy here, with the woods to run around in. He liked not having to worry about ripping people to pieces if he got loose. I don't think he actually wanted to hurt anyone."

"He might have been a cool guy if he hadn't been sucked in by that psycho-bitch," Jeremy admits, in between sips of his beer.

"Probably," Tyler replies with a shrug, "but he left anyway."

"How'd you do it, Ty?"

"I threatened to out him to the Sheriff," Tyler replies.

"That worked?" Jeremy asked.

Tyler nods, lying. In reality he'd threatened to fill his uncle with a mixture of rock salt and Mookshood, a herb that was as dangerous to werewolves as Vervain was to vampires, courtesy of the sawed-off shotgun he'd had in his hands at the time. Both he and Mason knew that the Monkshood wouldn't kill Mason, but it would make it substantially easier for Tyler to put Mason down for good with the handgun that Tyler had tucked into the waistband of his jeans. Tyler figures that Jeremy doesn't need to know how close Tyler came to ending Mason just because his uncle had the audacity to hurt the people Tyler cared about.

"How's Elena?" Tyler asks, praying Jeremy doesn't bust him on the change of subject.

Jeremy smiles. "She's doing okay, I think. I mean, Stefan did try to eat her, so..."

"Rough dude," Tyler replies.

"She's dealing. Damon spends a lot of his time at the hospital trying to cheer her up. Is it weird that I'd rather have my sister date the guy that tried to kill me than the guy who nearly killed her?" Jeremy asks.

"Not in the context of our lives, man," Tyler answers with a snort.

"Context?" Jeremy asks, lifting a brow.

"Fuck you, I know shit," Tyler replies, shoving him a little.

And just like that, the beers and heavy conversation is forgotten and they're just two idiot teenagers horsing around. There's no real malice behind their jabs and swipes, not any more. Jeremy's stronger than he looks and he makes Tyler eat more than his fair share of dirt before he's off and running through the woods. Tyler has never been able to turn down a good chase.

He catches Jeremy at the top of a ridge and tackles him around the waist, taking them both to the ground. Jeremy tries to wrestle out from under him, but Tyler knows he's stronger. Jeremy only succeeds in rolling around enough to face Tyler. Tyler pins both of Jeremy's hands over his head and laughs. "You lose, Gilbert."

"Maybe I'm just trying to lull you into a false sense of security?" Jeremy suggests with a wicked grin on his face.

Tyler shakes his head and elbows Jeremy once in the side for good measure. "No, you totally lose," he affirms.

He pushes off the ground, standing swiftly before offering his hand to Jeremy. Jeremy bats it away and scowls, hauling himself up from the ground. "Aw c'mon Jer," Tyler says, "don't be a poor sport."

There's a glint of a smile on Jeremy's face before he takes off running, shouting "Race you back," over his shoulder.

Tyler shakes his head and lets Jeremy have a fair head start before following after him. He catches up to Jeremy as the ridge starts to slope down, matching Jeremy's pace stride for stride. Jeremy scowls at him a little, panting something about an unfair advantage, but Tyler smiles cheekily at him.

It happens in the span of a second. Tyler reaches out and gives Jeremy a playful shove on the arm. Jeremy stumbles briefly, scowling, and regains his footing, but he's too close to the side of the ridge and the ground gives way under his feet and suddenly Jeremy is slipping down the side of the ridge. Tyler stretches out to grab Jeremy's flailing hand and their fingers connect, but Tyler's arms aren't quite long enough and Jeremy tumbles back.

Jeremy rolls twice, as Tyler stands paralyzed at the top of the ridge. Then there is a sickening noise, not unlike the sound of a straw puncturing a juice box, and Jeremy is lying in a heap at the bottom of the hill with a branch protruding from his chest.

The smell of blood is what shakes Tyler from his paralysis and sends him scrambling down the hill after his friend. Jeremy is gasping, terrible wet sucking gasps, when Tyler reaches him. In a blind panic, Tyler wrenches Jeremy off of the branch and presses his hands down tightly over the gaping wounds on Jeremy's front and back.

"I'm so sorry," Tyler states shaking, "I didn't mean too. I'm so sorry."

When Jeremy smiles his teeth are bright red. "S'okay," he wheezes, "gonna be fine. Don'worry."

Tyler nods robotically, trying to hoist Jeremy into a position where Tyler can carry him back up the hill without taking pressure off his wounds, but there isn't one. He thinks of his cell phone, but it's back with the cooler. So he shouts, hoping and praying that someone, preferably Caroline or Damon with their healing blood, will hear him and help them.

Jeremy's hand brushes across Tyler's chin and pulls Tyler's attention back to the bleeding boy in his arms. "S'okay," he repeats, "promise. S'okay."

Jeremy coughs and blood bubbles out from between his lips, dripping down his chin. Jeremy's eyes are fluttering closed and Tyler's terror feels like ice in his veins. "No way, no fucking way," Tyler begs, "you just have to hang on. Someone will come. Someone will come."

Jeremy shakes his head sleepily. "No one's coming, s'okay," Jeremy says tiredly, coughing again.

Tyler wonders if he's crying, because his lips taste like salt when he licks them. "It's not okay. It's not. I can't kill you, Jer."

Jeremy spits up another mouthful of blood and takes a shuddering breath. "Trust me," he whispers. He coughs again, and then it's over. His eyes become glassy and unfocused and he won't look at Tyler no matter how hard Tyler shakes him.

Something inside of Tyler stretches out and expands, painfully pushing against his skin. There's a roar in his head and his vision goes white like it did the night he crashed his car and almost killed Caroline. Then it's gone and everything is sharper. Tyler can hear the birds preening in the trees and he can see the veins in the leaves. None of it matters though, because Jeremy is dead in his arms.

Out of his mind, Tyler stretches Jeremy out on the ground and tries CPR. His bloody hands leave streaks over Jeremy's nose and mouth as he tips Jeremy's head back. Tyler closes his lips over Jeremy's and pushes as much air as he can into Jeremy's lungs. There is no response, so Tyler pulls his mouth away and places his trembling hands over Jeremy's heart, pushing down rhythmically. All Tyler manages to do is push more blood out of the wound on Jeremy's chest. Praying, Tyler places two fingers against Jeremy's throat to check for a pulse.

Tyler knows he shouldn't be surprised that there isn't one, because Jeremy is dead as they come, but it hurts. It hurts worse than any punch Tyler's father ever threw at him, or any time his mother looked the other way. It hurts even more than when Mason broke Tyler's arm in four places after Tyler found him having sex with someone Tyler thought was Elena. Everything becomes anguish as Tyler crushes his dead friend to his chest, covering them both in Jeremy's blood, and rocks back and forth, keening like a wild animal.

Then Jeremy is gasping for air and struggling in Tyler's arms and Tyler is very, very certain that he's cracked completely. Tyler loosens his grip on Jeremy enough to hold the other boy at arm's length. The hole in Jeremy's chest, and presumably the one in his back, is completely closed, though Jeremy's chest is smeared with blood. Jeremy touches Tyler on the shoulder gently and Tyler pushes him away, scrambling back.

"See," Jeremy says, "I told you it would be okay."

"You're dead," Tyler states.

Jeremy reaches out to him and Tyler leans away, not allowing Jeremy to touch him. "I was," Jeremy says.

"How?"

Jeremy toys with the hideous ring he always wears. "This ring is a family heirloom. It's enchanted so that when the wearer dies, he doesn't stay that way," he explains.

"Does this happen to you a lot?" Tyler asks bluntly, still keeping his distance.

There's something wrong with Jeremy's smile when he answers. "More than I'd like but less than it probably should," he says.

"So I haven't lost my mind?" Tyler asks warily.

Jeremy shakes his head. "No."

Tyler lunges forward and pokes Jeremy solidly in the chest, careful not to linger. "You're alive," he states, amazed.

"And you're cursed," Jeremy replies sadly.

Surprisingly, the thought doesn't bother Tyler as much as he knows it should. "I'll deal," he says.

"We'll figure it out," Jeremy states, standing and brushing himself off. "I could really use a beer," he says, stretching his arms over his head.

Tyler watches the movement with rapt attention. Jeremy looks different to him now. Stronger maybe, better, Tyler doesn't know. It's disconcerting to say the least. Tyler figures that watching his friend die and then come back to life has him kind of out of it. "Yeah," Tyler answers quickly, "I know what you mean."


	2. II

**Disclaimer:**** Who has two thumbs and doesn't own The Vampire Diaries? *points to self with thumbs* This girl.**

**A/N:**** Things are going to get weirder before they get slashier. I'm drawing inspiration from Ginger Snaps for the run-up to Tyler's first transformation. Please do me a favour and click the review button and let me know if this works for you. Also, I've recently come to love Jenson (Jenna x Mason). There are only a few fics on the site, but they're fun to read (and sometimes smexy too). Give it a try! Also (SHAMELESS PLUG WARNING) check out my other Jyler fic "The Woman in White" and let me know what you think. Pretty please?**

**BBB**

When they finally end up back at Tyler's house, Tyler is thankful his mother is a neglectful bitch. It would be...awkward...to explain why they're halfway to drunk before five in the afternoon. It would be more awkward still to explain why their shorts are soaked and smeared with the remnants of Jeremy's blood that refused to wash out.

Tyler also appreciates how easily Amelia, the Lockwood's housekeeper, will be able to clean his and Jeremy's muddy footprints from the tile of the kitchen floor. He saves her extra work by making Jeremy follow his lead and leave their filthy flip-flops by the back door. Tyler swipes a bottle of his mother's cheap vodka from under the kitchen sink before trudging up the old servants' staircase with Jeremy following behind.

"We need to do something about this," he mutters gesturing to his and Jeremy's ruined trunks.

"I don't have anything else," Jeremy points out.

Tyler sets the bottle down on his dresser when he and Jeremy reach his room and pulls a pair of shorts and a t-shirt out of his bottom drawer and hands them to Jeremy.

Jeremy raises a brow at him. Tyler knows they're going to be too small for Jeremy, but it's all he has so Jeremy will have to make due. "Guest bathroom is the second door on your right. Towels are in the cupboard by the sinks. Just chuck your clothes in the wastebasket, I'll take care of them later," Tyler explains.

"Right," Jeremy says. Tyler turns and strips off his shirt, hazily throwing it in the wastebasket under his desk. When he turns, hands ready to tug off his shorts, Jeremy is still standing there with the clothes in his hand.

Tyler scowls at him and crosses his arms. "What? Are you waiting for company or something?" he asks angrily.

Jeremy winces and Tyler feels kind of guilty. After all, he did just kill the guy. He probably shouldn't be snapping at him. An apology is on the tip of his tongue when Jeremy speaks. "Are you gonna be okay, Ty?" he asks.

Tyler wonders what exactly Jeremy means by that. He's become a murderer and a supernatural creature all in one day. He wants to mouth off to Jeremy about what a stupid question it is, of course he isn't, he's a damn werewolf, but he realizes that Jeremy doesn't give a shit about the future. He's talking about right now. Tyler sent Jeremy careening to his death not even two hours earlier and Jeremy is standing in his room trying to make sure Tyler isn't going to do something idiotic and permanent. It's irritatingly endearing.

"You can relax," Tyler drawls, rolling his eyes, "I'm not going to hang myself in the shower. You can leave me alone for ten minutes."

Then Jeremy looks away, at the floor, at the walls, anywhere but at Tyler and Tyler curses himself for being an idiot because there was a time in the recent past when Jeremy tried to kill himself and wasn't allowed to be alone, not even for ten minutes. "Fuck man," Tyler says, running a hand through his dirty hair, "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm an asshole."

"Yeah, I know," Jeremy sighs before turning and walking out the door.

Tyler waits until he hears the shower start up down the hall before stripping down and entering his bathroom, closing the door behind him. It doesn't occur to him to lock it. He turns the shower on and waits until the water is as hot as it can get before stepping under the spray.

He mechanically reaches for his shampoo as the water runs down his skin in scalding rivulets. As Tyler works the shampoo into his hair, his eyes automatically close. There is a flash of Jeremy behind his eyelids, with teeth stained red. Tyler's eyes snap open and he gasps for breath, startled.

Tyler's senses are overloaded with Jeremy's blood. He can still smell it, lingering on his skin. It's so strong Tyler tastes copper on the back of his tongue and gags. His vision sharpens to the point where, if he concentrates enough, he can see it in the creases of his palms and under his fingernails. The wet sucking sound Jeremy made as he drowned in his own blood starts playing on constant loop in Tyler's head and he can't shake the viscous, slick feeling of Jeremy's blood on his hands.

Gripped by white hot panic, Tyler grabs the soap and scrubs. He scrubs and scrubs until his skin turns pink, but it still isn't enough to clean away Jeremy's blood. Even as the water circling the drain is tinged with pink from the places Tyler has scrubbed himself raw, Tyler still isn't satisfied. Lashing out, he lands a blow against the tile wall of the shower.

Tyler marvels at the tiny pieces of ceramic protruding from the skin of his hand. The way that his blood wells up in his wounds is almost beautiful, simply for the fact that it's his and not Jeremy's. A furious pounding at the door rips Tyler's attention away from his hand.

"Tyler!" Jeremy shouts, "You have two minutes to get out here and explain what the hell that noise was or I'm coming in there!"

Swearing, Tyler picks the tile out of his hand. He hisses as he runs it under the water, washing out the cuts. It's practically by the time he turns the water off and wraps a towel around his waist. Thankfully, Tyler finishes tucking the ends of the towel in before Jeremy rips the door open and slips on the bathmat, sprawling on the ground at Tyler's feet.

"You know," Tyler says, lazily, nonchalantly hiding his injured hand behind his back, "I'm starting to think you want to see me naked."

"Asshole," Jeremy hisses, using the counter to pull himself up.

Tyler shrugs and runs his uninjured hand over his hair, spiking it up. Jeremy tugs uncomfortably at the neck of his borrowed t-shirt and glares at Tyler. "What the fuck was that noise anyway?" he demands.

"I slipped," Tyler replies with a shrug.

It's obvious from the look on Jeremy's face that he doesn't believe Tyler for a second, but Tyler breezes past him and grabs a clean pair of boxers, shorts and a shirt from the dresser before looking at Jeremy expectantly. Jeremy huffs and stalks past him, closing Tyler's bedroom door behind him.

As Tyler slips the shirt over his head, he's engulfed in a terrible smell. It's like lemon on overdrive and it's so strong it makes his eyes water. Snarling, he throws it away from him and goes to the drawer to get another. The whole drawer reeks of the same lemon smell and it's so strong it has Tyler running back into the bathroom, heaving.

The bathroom is no better. It's a putrid mix of scents ranging from toilet cleaner to Irish Spring to urine, with hints of toothpaste, soap scum, cologne and mildew. The mix of scents, in combination to the lemon smell, sends Tyler lurching for the toilet. He heaves violently, expelling the contents of his stomach.

It only makes it worse. Tyler chokes on the smell of his own vomit and starts heaving again. It goes on like that until he's in his own puke scented hell and he's pretty sure he's going to heave himself inside out. He keeps smelling and heaving and he knows his stomach is empty but he can't stop and he's pretty sure that he's throwing up nothing but bile and maybe a bit of blood at this point.

Then there is a mercifully cool cloth on the back of his neck and Tyler's nostrils fill with the scent of clean, cool water, Dove soap and a hint of something else that smells like peppermint and dark chocolate that's gone before he can really identify the scent. The cloth moves to his forehead and Tyler all but sighs in relief.

"Relax," Jeremy murmurs somewhere near Tyler's right ear. "Relax and breathe."

"I can smell everything," Tyler says, sick enough not to care if it sounds like whining.

Jeremy moves the cloth to the back of his neck again and pulls Tyler away from the toilet. "Just relax," he says again, moving Tyler to lean against the tub.

Tyler tries, he really does, but it's hard. Jeremy sits next to him and Tyler can smell the soap and shampoo from the guest bathroom, both Dove, and the lemon scent from Jeremy's borrowed clothes and Jeremy's sweat and the tile and tub and everything in the bathroom. It's not as disgusting before but it's still overwhelming and he wants to be sick again.

"Dude," Jeremy says, "you have to relax."

Tyler glares at him and literally snarls. "I can smell every single smell in this whole fucking room."

"Try picking one to focus on;" Jeremy says reasonably, as if this kind of thing happens every day, "maybe you can block the others out."

If he hadn't already sent the guy careening to his death today, Tyler probably would have punched Jeremy in the mouth for his calm attitude. Tyler can't understand how Jeremy can act like this is all no big deal. Some of that probably shows on his face because Jeremy rolls his eyes at him and says "Just try it."

So Tyler takes a deep breath and tries to pick out the least offensive smell. Thankfully he catches a hint of the peppermint-chocolate scent that he smelled before. He focuses on it. He picks out peppermint, cool and crisp, and chocolate, the kind that's so dark it's almost bitter. It's enough like an after-dinner mint to have Tyler's mouth watering but, as he focuses more, the scent is more than that. The peppermint isn't exactly mint. It reminds Tyler of how the air smells in the winter, when you take a breath in and you know, without a doubt, that it's going to snow. The chocolate isn't quite right either. It smells dark and rich, like the chocolate Amelia used to use for baking before Tyler's father decided he was too old for birthday cake, but the bitterness comes from something like coffee, maybe, or dark beer. There's something else too, something spicy and sweet, that reminds Tyler of a day in elementary school where he spent hours shoving little cloves into an orange so that he could give Amelia something to hang on her Christmas tree. Whatever it is, it's really, really good and Tyler is happy to let it block out all the other smells.

But then it's gone, as quickly as it came, and Tyler can't smell anything out of the ordinary and he's angry that the smell it gone. He hears a growl, like a dog that's had its chew toy taken away, and it takes a weird look from Jeremy before Tyler realizes that the growl is coming from him.

"Everything okay there, Ty?" Jeremy asks warily.

Tyler stops growling, embarrassed and frustrated. "Fine. It's fine," he states, clenching his jaw.

"What happened?" Jeremy asks.

Tyler shakes his head and rubs his hand over his hair, a nervous gesture that his father hated but that Tyler could never stop. "I don't know," he admits.

"Maybe it's a wolf thing," Jeremy suggests.

"Maybe," Tyler replies with a shrug.

"You should get dressed," Jeremy says, pulling himself up to stand.

"Yeah, probably," Tyler agrees, not making any effort to get up.

"It'll be okay," Jeremy says, offering his hand, "I promise."

Tyler doesn't believe him, but he takes Jeremy's hand anyway and lets Jeremy pull him up.


	3. III

**Disclaimer:**** Do really need to tell you I don't own this? I also don't own Randolph College or Lynchburg, VA (where it's located). It's a real place that's supposedly haunted, so I'm borrowing it for literary purposes. Also, I'm ashamed to say I stole a line from Twilight (the movie), but it fit so =P.**

**(Long-winded) A/N:**** So, not exactly weirder. I tried to continue in the weird vein for this chapter, but it mostly just came out kind of normal/funny. I guess my muse took pity on the boys and decided I needed to lighten up. It'll leave you with more questions than answers about what exactly happened in my A/U version of season 2, but if there's enough interest I might do some one-shots to fill in the blanks at some point in the future. Here's the secret decoder for the x-box lingo in this chap (which was corrected/sourced from my darling husband):**

**Frag – to kill**

**Spartan – the "good guys" in the Halo series**

**Sticky-ing – "To sticky" means to kill someone with a grenade in Halo multiplayer**

**Elite – the "bad guys" in the Halo series.**

**Lastly, thank you all for your reviews. I really appreciate them, so keep 'em coming.**

**BBB**

For the most part, Jeremy is right.

Tyler has good days and bad days, like the one where he spends all day locked in his room in the dark because everything he sees has so many details it gives him the worst migraine he's ever had, or the one where Tyler is convinced his ears are going to burst from all the noise. It helps for him to focus on just one thing to drown the others out, just like Jeremy told him to.

Of course, Jeremy's trick isn't much help the day Tyler wakes up with hypersensitive skin and ends up spending a very embarrassing morning in bed because he chose to sleep in nothing but his Egyptian cotton sheets. Not that Tyler even tells Jeremy about that day.

But it gets easier. With practice, Tyler can manage the attacks when they come and sort of normalize in less than fifteen minutes. Jeremy handles most of the research into the whats and whys of it all, since he still has contacts online from when he first discovered the truth about vampires. Tyler's thankful for that because putting his fist through his computer tower in a fit of rage because some internet troll decided Tyler was fun to play with is not something he wants to repeat. It took Jeremy nearly an hour to pick all the electronic bits out of Tyler's hand.

Today, however, is a good day; which is why Tyler is standing on Jeremy's porch, cake in hand, waiting for someone to open the door. He can hear the people moving around inside, quite a few of them from the sounds of it, but it seems like it's taking forever for someone to let him in. Tyler's almost ready to put the cake down and open the door himself when the door swings open.

Jenna smiles widely at him and Tyler smiles back nervously. Her perfume is...overwhelming. It's something citrus, maybe grapefruit, and Tyler wonders why she's wearing so much. Tyler can feel his control slipping as the rest of Jenna's scents invade his nose. He can smell her shampoo, citrus again, and her deodorant doesn't do much but mix unpleasantly with the smell of her sweat. Tyler smells a hint of salt and he wonders if Jenna's been crying. Underneath everything is the scent of blood, but Tyler can't see any open wounds. He blushes when he realizes what exactly he's smelling.

Taking a deep breath, Tyler focuses on the sticky-sweet homey scent of the chocolate cake he's carrying in his hands. "Hey Jenna," he says.

"Is that chocolate?" she asks quickly.

"If I say yes, can I come inside?" Tyler replies.

Jenna answers by taking the container out of his hands and walking down the hall toward the kitchen. Tyler follows behind her, closing the door. When he gets to the kitchen, Jenna is removing the dome of the cake carrier. "I, uh, wanted to do something nice for Elena," he says quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets, thankful that his sense of smell has calmed down, "but my attempt at baking was a disaster. Amelia took pity on me."

"Amelia made this?" Jenna asks, licking her lips quickly.

"Yeah," Tyler replies lamely.

"God, I haven't had Amelia's chocolate cake in such a long time..." Jenna trails off, staring at the cake sadly. She turns to Tyler, tucking her hair behind her ear and fiddling with her necklace. "You haven't heard from Mason at all, have you?" she asks.

Tyler shrugs, looking up at the cupboard behind Jenna's head. "No. I don't think I will either. He was, uh, pretty determined to leave Mystic Falls for good," Tyler says. It's not exactly a lie, but it feels like one.

Jenna's face falls for a second, but she covers it up with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "If you do, could you ask him to call me? I just want to make sure he's okay before he drops off the face of the Earth again," she says quickly.

Tyler nods, feeling guilty. Jenna's never been anything but nice to him, even when Tyler used to get into fights with Jeremy, so he feels bad about making her worry. "Is there anything I can help with?" he asks, wanting to end the conversation.

"I think Commandant Caroline still has the boys decorating the yard. They could probably use a hand. If they don't, Bonnie should be back from the store soon with all the barbecue stuff. You could take charge of grilling," Jenna suggests, genuinely smiling this time.

Tyler smiles before heading out the back door. Caroline is standing with her back to him, hands on her hips. He can picture the squinty determined look on her face as she studies the position of the 'Welcome Home Elena' banner. It would be funny if Jeremy and Matt weren't both perched on top of rickety ass ladders leaning against trees in the Gilberts' yard. Matt is a vampire, granted he's only a few months old, — another casualty of Katherine's reign of terror — so a fall from the ladder wouldn't do him any harm. Jeremy, on the other hand, could fall wrong and break his neck. The thought of it has an unconscious growl clawing out of Tyler's throat.

Tyler stifles it as Caroline turns on him, sunny 'you're going to do exactly what I want' smile firmly in place. "Tyler, it's so good to see you. You can put up the twinkle lights!" she says with a smile.

Tyler smiles back as his ears pick up the sound of a car door closing at the front of the house. He has to focus on the sound of his heartbeat for a second to keep his hearing in check, but he shakes his head at her. "No can do Caroline, I'm on grill duty," he smirks.

Caroline pouts before ordering Jeremy down from the ladder and taking over his position, obviously not satisfied with Jeremy's attempts at keeping the banner level. Jeremy's smiling when he crosses the yard to greet Tyler with a good-natured fist pound. "So grill duty, huh?" Jeremy asks.

"Looks that way," Tyler replies, still smirking.

"I didn't think you could cook," Jeremy returns.

"Oh I can't," Tyler says, "but it's a barbecue, not kitchen stadium."

"Iron Chef?" Jeremy asks with a raised brow.

"Is awesome," Tyler finishes before going to help Bonnie with the groceries.

All in all, Tyler doesn't do a bad job. The burgers and hot dogs are ready by the time everyone gathers in the yard to wait for Elena. Nobody really talks, they all just wait. It isn't a long wait, but it's longer than comfortable. It's like they're all afraid to speak.

Elena's face breaks into a wide smile as Jenna opens the back door for her, with Damon at her side and Ric following behind. Her eyes get glassy and Tyler is pretty sure she's going to start crying as Damon helps her down the steps. Elena hugs Jeremy first, careful to avoid hitting him with her cast. She moves down to the crowd, hugging Bonnie hard. When she hugs Caroline, she bursts into tears and Tyler is close enough to hear her thanking Caroline profusely for her effort with the decorations. Elena hugs Matt quickly, accepting a kiss on the forehead from him as she wipes tears from her eyes. Tyler is surprised when Elena wraps her arms around him and squeezes, whispering thanks in his ear for his help with Mason.

Damon helps Elena settle into her chair before greeting everyone. His blue eyes narrow as he shakes Tyler's hand. "There's something different about you," he says, smiling warily.

"Unfortunately, it's exactly what you think it is," Tyler replies.

"You can tell me all about it once I've plied Elena with food that doesn't come from a hospital cafeteria," Damon suggests.

"Probably not," Tyler returns. He doesn't even like to bring it up with Jeremy, so there is little chance that he'll want to discuss it with anyone else.

Elena's excitement at being home is infectious, as is her appetite. She eats three hot dogs, a mountain of potato salad and about a cup of coleslaw. Matt and Caroline rope Damon into a game of seeing which of the three vampires can eat the most, with Damon barely beating Caroline. Tyler himself eats two hamburgers and three hotdogs, one of which he steals from Jeremy's plate when Jeremy runs in to go to the bathroom.

Jeremy's not exactly pleased when he comes back to find his plate empty and Tyler leaning back in the swing with his arms spread across the top, looking very satisfied. "You're an asshole," Jeremy huffs, shoving Tyler over enough for them to share the seat.

"True, but it's your own fault for leaving it unattended," Tyler smirks, happily full.

"Clearly I should know better," Jeremy deadpans. "I leave for two minutes and the wolves descend."

Tyler's mouth falls open as he turns to stare at Jeremy, who bursts into laughter. "Dude, you should see your face," Jeremy says wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

"Not funny, Jer; totally not funny," Tyler states, once he gets his mouth working again.

"Oh come on Ty, it was a little funny." Jeremy replies.

"Maybe a little," Tyler says grudgingly, "but it doesn't mean I want anyone to know."

"Like they're gonna care," Jeremy says.

Tyler glares at him, but his response is interrupted by Jenna's return to the backyard carrying Amelia's cake.

"Who wants cake?" she asks cheerfully, lifting it up a bit.

Tyler's anger is forgotten the minute the cake hits his tongue. It's even better than he remembers. The texture is a perfect mix of moist and chewy and crumbly and sticky. The gooey chocolate icing is rich and dark and it melts in his mouth. There are hints of spice too, he realizes as he savours the first bite. He can taste cinnamon and something else, nutmeg maybe; whatever it is, it's beyond good.

As he takes his second bite, Tyler inhales deeply, trying to focus on the scent of the cake. He knows it's probably a mistake to try to will a period of hypersensitivity, but he can't help but wonder how much better the cake could taste.

It does taste better; God does it taste better. The cake is sweeter than any kiss Tyler has ever had. It tastes so good that he can feel it in his fingertips. As the cake slides down Tyler's throat, a catchy little sound escapes. He's enjoying the cake so much that he doesn't even bother to stifle it.

Tyler licks his lips and opens his eyes to find Jeremy staring at him, wide-eyed with his mouth forming a perfectly round 'o' shape. "What," Tyler says, wiping at the corners of his mouth, "do I have something on my face?"

Jeremy shakes his head at him before shoving a forkful of cake into his mouth. He chews it quickly and swallows. Tyler is confused, but the cake is almost calling his name so he puts another forkful in his mouth.

After dessert and a few rounds of Rock Band, the party dies down. Tyler lingers after everyone but Damon leaves and is roped into clean-up duty. Jenna gives him a trash bag and he goes around collecting paper plates, plastic cups and utensils and napkins. He knows that if Caroline had stayed to clean up, she would probably give him hell for mixing the recyclables in with the trash, but she isn't so he just shoves everything into one bag before throwing the bag into one of the green plastic trash cans in the Gilbert garage.

Jeremy is alone in the living room when Tyler comes back in. Tyler sprawls next to him on the couch and picks up a controller. Jeremy wordlessly starts a new Halo multiplayer game and beats Tyler twice before either of them get around to speaking.

"You wanna crash here tonight?" Jeremy asks.

"Damon's planning on couch surfing," Tyler replies as he frags Jeremy's Spartan.

"My floor's free," Jeremy replies, respawning and sticky-ing Tyler's Elite.

"I dunno man," Tyler says.

"I was thinking about going to Lynchburg tomorrow. Randolph College has a pretty extensive selection of paranormal reference material. If you crash here you can tag along," Jeremy bribes.

"I'm driving," Tyler states.

"I'll find the air mattress," Jeremy replies.


	4. IV Part I

**Disclaimer:**** Don't own it. Do I really need to say it every time?**

**A/N:**** Allow me to explain the shortness of this chapter. The boys' trip to Randolph was supposed to be two chapters, but my muse has decided that it really ought to be three instead. Hopefully it all works out for the best. I'm also displeased with the show's lack of Mason, he'll be appearing sometime after the "road trip". Also, in lieu of length, please feel free to spot the references (one very very un-obvious movie ref, one movie quote, and one TV ref) though the Winchester name drop is not the TV reference. I apologise for the lack of posting. I've been down with an intense sinus infection that's scrambling my poor brains, but I should be all good in the next week or two. Love your reviews, keep 'em coming! Cheers - B**

**BBB**

Tyler's mother isn't home when he calls home the next morning, so he lets Amelia know that he won't be home until late, if he doesn't end up crashing at Jeremy's again. It's probably for the best, since Amelia is more likely to worry about him than his mother is.

They stop at the gas station at the edge of town and Jeremy goes in to get provisions while Tyler fills up his car. He stretches as after he put the pump nozzle back in its place and flashes a flirty smile at the redhead filling up her Jeep at the next pump. She smiles back and unzips her hoodie, throwing it in the back of her car and revealing a black bikini top. Tyler takes in the sight of her creamy skin, dotted with freckles, and something shifts in his stomach. His mouth waters and he regrets turning down Jenna's offer of pancakes.

Tyler's nostrils flare unconsciously and he can even smell her scent through the overwhelming scent of gasoline. Her perfume is something rich and spicy, almost like a men's cologne and the saliva pools in Tyler's mouth when he smells it. She catches him staring when she replaces the nozzle at the pump and she smiles at him again, but this time it's less flirty and more come hither. Her smell changes, deepening and darkening, and Tyler takes a step toward her.

The redhead's gaze flicks over his shoulder and Tyler turns to follow it. Jeremy is standing at the door of the gas station, talking to a petite girl with a head full of blonde corkscrew curls. She smiles at Jeremy and lays a hand on his arm as Jeremy gestures with the other, pointing toward Mystic Falls. There is something insincere in her smile that sets Tyler's teeth grinding. "Hey Gilbert," he yells, startling the two, "get your ass in gear. We gotta go."

Jeremy extracts his arm from the blonde's grasp and walks back to the car, giving Tyler a glare as he gets in and slams the door. Tyler rolls his eyes at Jeremy's dramatics and turns back to give the redhead a wink. She looks unimpressed and Tyler notices that she isn't as pretty as he thought. Her eyes are too hard and small in her face, like two brittle bits of green glass. He can see her pale roots growing in close to her scalp and it's not a look that works for her. He breaks her gaze and gets in the car, backing out of the gas station and driving past her a little faster than necessary. She flips him off as he peels by and Tyler is glad that he didn't bother to talk to her.

Jeremy silently rips into one a pack of Twinkies and chews it loudly. Tyler's nose is clogged with the sickly sweet fragrance of the golden cake and the creamy centre. Tyler has to roll down the window to keep from gagging, breathing in the smell of the forest as they drive through it. As they drive over Wickery Bridge, Tyler picks up a trace of mint under the smell of the cold, clear water of Wickery Creek.

It's momentary, but Tyler fights to hold on to it as he drives, focusing on the mint entirely. Sure enough, the scent of chocolate follows. Tyler's mouth turns up into a slight smile as the comforting smell wraps around him. There's a spice to it that makes him think of the redhead's perfume, which bothers Tyler, but it's not the exact same spice. The scent carries more bitterness to it than the first time he smelled it, as well as a hint of something sour.

Jeremy calls his name and Tyler loses the scent. Tyler scowls at him. "What?" he barks.

"Pay attention to the freaking road," Jeremy replies, licking Twinkie crumbs from his fingers.

"What makes you think I'm not?" Tyler snaps.

"Because you're grinning like an idiot and sighing like a girl. That redhead had a great body but, seriously dude, file her away in the spank bank and move on. Focus on the road," Jeremy says.

"Fuck you," Tyler replies.

"Yeah, fuck you too," Jeremy says, turning up the stereo and turning away to look out the window.

They don't speak until Tyler hits a Burger King drive thru when Jeremy reminds Tyler to order him a Whopper without mayo or onions. Tyler doesn't need the reminder, but at least Jeremy is talking so he stresses the special order to the speaker-box. Jeremy upgrades from the silent treatment to monosyllabic responses when Tyler asks him questions. Three-quarters of the way to Lynchburg, Jeremy finishes sulking, actually protesting in a full sentence when Tyler switches the radio station to one that plays a mix of rap and R&B instead of the pretentiously named bands Jeremy prefers. They compromise on a station that plays a mix of modern and classic rock. They're both singing along, poorly, to 'Crazy Train' when they drive past the 'Welcome to Lynchburg' sign.

Randolph College isn't hard to find, even though parking is. As they walk past clusters of summer students, Tyler wonders what it would be like to be one of them. There were offers, of course, for football and lacrosse scholarships at schools out of state, but Tyler hadn't really taken the time to consider them with the whole Katherine debacle going on. He'd turned them down with the excuse that he wanted to take a year off to travel. Now that he is what he is, Tyler wonders if he'll ever be able to go, or if Mystic Falls will be his whole life.

Jeremy grabs Tyler by the sleeve, distracting him from his thoughts, and hauls him toward a door that has a black sign over top of it, proclaiming it to be the office of the 'Randolph College Society for Paranormal Investigations'. Tyler digs his heels into the ground and leans back, stopping Jeremy in his tracks. "Dude, I thought you said we were here for the library," Tyler states, narrowing his eyes at Jeremy.

Jeremy rolls his eyes at Tyler in response. "No, I said they had an extensive selection of paranormal reference material. You assumed I was only talking about the library," Jeremy says with a smirk.

"I'm not going in there," Tyler protests.

"What's the big deal?" Jeremy asks, mockingly.

"I'm not telling them shit," Tyler snaps.

"Relax, Ty," Jeremy says, holding up his free hand in a placating manner, "I'm not asking you to. I emailed them before we came. They think we're working on a horror movie."

"Uh...sorry," Tyler apologizes gruffly, running his hand through his hair. He's treated to another roll of Jeremy's eyes before the taller boy enters the office. Tyler follows him, less reluctant than before. He hopes that these Paranormal Society people can tell him something.

Twenty minutes later he and Jeremy are dodging campus security, while Tyler watches the skin of his split knuckles close up like magic. They end up hiding in plain sight at the cafeteria until security gives up the chase. Jeremy glares at Tyler when he comes back from getting napkins to staunch the bleeding on Tyler's knuckles and Tyler waves his healed hand in Jeremy's face.

"Was hitting that guy really necessary?" Jeremy asks, clearly annoyed.

"So I'm just supposed to sit around while some Dean Winchester wannabe treats you like shit?" Tyler retorts.

"It didn't bother me," Jeremy lies flatly.

"It bothered me," Tyler says. "Nobody talks to my friends like that."

Jeremy doesn't even acknowledge Tyler's comment with a response. His lips become a flat line and he pushes his chair away from the table. He shoves the unused napkins into the cargo pocket of his shorts and stands, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Maybe you should wait here," Jeremy suggests.

"What?" Tyler asks.

Jeremy shrugs. "Libraries aren't really your thing," he replies.

Tyler should be angry. He should. Jeremy's statement, while true, should set Tyler off. Instead, he feels like a big bag of dicks because Jeremy doesn't want him around because he wasn't able to keep his temper in check. "Yeah I know," Tyler says, feeling like a douche, "but I'm the one with the problem. I should learn what to expect right?"

"We need to get going before they close," Jeremy replies.

Tyler doesn't need to be told twice.


	5. IV Part II

**Disclaimer:**** If TVD were mine, I would shut down this Bonnie/Jeremy BS pronto.**

**A/N:**** I re-read this story and I realized that Tyler has been awfully passive so far. I just wanted to reassure you that will be coming to an end in the chapter after this one. Tyler is going to be put into a position where he has to assert his dominance (Thar be slash on the horizon maties!). So bear with me through this chapter (which will make more sense as the plot unfolds; I'm not throwing in semi-OC's for kicks) and I promise we'll get to the good stuff.**

**Keep up the R&R 'cuz nothing makes my day like hearing from you!**

**BBB**

Once they settle into the library, Tyler doesn't say a word. He simply takes half of the pile of books that Jeremy returns to their table with and begins skimming through them, taking surprisingly neat, careful notes. Some of the information is really interesting, though Tyler's imagination gets away from him a bit when he reads the descriptions of transformations in various cultures' folklore. A few of the descriptions make him want to laugh outright, because really, turning into a Wolfman-esque half-man-half-wolf is completely wrong and ridiculous, but others chill him to the bone, particularly the half-mad account of a Canadian trader from 1815 about a fort where every single other person in his party permanently transformed into hellish creatures that fell somewhere between werewolves and wendigos in the supernatural spectrum.

Jeremy is silent too, completely engaged in the research. He doesn't look up once, nor get up from the table unless it is to get another book mentioned in the references of the one he's finished with. Tyler has to admire Jeremy's work ethic, even if it makes him feel worse because this isn't even Jeremy's problem, not really, but he's wholeheartedly committed to the research. Jeremy's attitude pushes Tyler to take notes until his eyes start swimming.

Neither of them notices as the library starts to empty out. They're both engrossed in heavy folklore tomes when a cough breaks the silence of the library. Tyler, caught off guard, is instantly on alert when his head snaps up from his book. It takes almost all of his self control to stifle the warning growl that waits at the back of his throat. Instead, Tyler drawls "Can I help you?" in his very best entitled-mayor's-son/football/lacrosse/basketball-star voice.

The slight but solidly built young man standing near their table meets Tyler's gaze without flinching. "We're closing in five, so unless you're checking anything out you should amscray," the guy answers.

His flippant tone has Tyler closing the book he's been working with a little too firmly. Tyler's instincts tell him that he could have this kid on the floor in under five seconds with surprise on his side, but before Tyler can move, Jeremy smiles. "Sure man," he says, "we didn't even realize. I guess we just got caught up in our research."

The guy, Kris if his nametag is correct, toys with the silver hoop in his left ear as he takes quick stock of the books spread out on the table. "Lycanthropy isn't really something they cover in a lot of classes," he says with a shrug.

Jeremy closes his book and places it on the stack of others he's finished with. "It's not for a class," he says, tucking his notes into his bag.

Kris's eyebrows rise slightly. "We're working on a movie script," Tyler lies, closing the notebook he's been using and pushing it toward Jeremy.

"A horror movie?" Kris asks.

"Something like that," Jeremy says. "It's about a guy who accidently kills a girl at a party only to find out that killing her triggers a family curse that makes him turn into a werewolf."

Tyler flinches slightly, but hides it in the action of stacking his pile of finished books, because the story is a little too close to the truth. It wasn't a party and she didn't die, but he's still haunted by the day that he pushed Sarah a little too hard to get the moonstone back and sent her tumbling down the staircase.

"Huh," Kris says, "that's a different approach."

Jeremy shrugs. "Different worked for that Twilight chick," he replies.

"It's a good story," Kris says, turning one of the unused chairs at their table around and sitting on it, "and I probably would have believed it if the guy in charge of that pansy excuse for a paranormal society wasn't walking around with a black eye."

Jeremy freezes and Tyler clenches his fists. Kris turns to Tyler and nods slightly, "Nice work by the way. I've been waiting for someone to knock Wes down a peg or eight."

Unintentionally, the corner of Tyler's mouth quirks up into a smirk. Jeremy's wary glare wipes it right off his face. Kris clears his throat again. "See, Wes is a jack ass who pretends to be into the paranormal to get into the panties of easily freaked out sorority chicks. True believers, such as yours truly, tend to be offended by that. The fact that things got heated enough for physical violence makes me think that you two fall into the true believers category," he explains.

When neither of the boys answers, Kris turns his attention to Jeremy. "What'd you see?" Kris asks conversationally.

"I'm sorry?" Jeremy feigns.

"Faith is all well and good," Kris says with unnerving curiosity, "but it's been my experience that people don't start really and truly believing in the things that go bump in the night until they have evidence. So what did you see?"

"Nothing," Jeremy lies, looking Kris straight in the eye, "but there's no evidence proving otherwise either."

When Kris focuses his attention on Tyler warning bells start going off in Tyler's brain. There's something dangerous in the unassuming library worker now that wasn't there before and all Tyler wants to do knock him out cold and Jeremy the hell away from him. Tiny beads of sweat form on the back of Tyler's neck and he is practically shaking from the effort it takes not to act on instinct. "What about you?" Kris asks, "Why are you here?"

"Moral support," Tyler says, cracking his knuckles loudly.

To his surprise, Kris laughs. "If you two don't mind giving me a hand tidying up, I've got some rare books locked up in the storage cage you might be interested in," he offers.

The last thing Tyler wants is to be stuck in a locked library with a dude who makes little sparks of nervous electricity dance under his skin, but Jeremy says yes and Tyler won't leave him alone so they both stay. While they collect books and help Kris shelve them, they learn that Kris only works at the library part-time in order to have access to Randolph's considerable catalogue of resources on the supernatural.

"What's your real job?" Jeremy asks as he reaches up to place a chemistry textbook on one of the upper shelves.

"I run an internet business," Kris says as he organizes a stack books for the next aisle.

"Is it like an online porn site or something?" Tyler asks, not really interested.

"I sell items and information," Kris replies as he hands Tyler now organized stack.

Tyler is reluctant to leave Jeremy alone with Kris and doesn't get on with his shelving until he gets a discreet nod from Jeremy. He rests the books between his hip and the shelf before closing his eyes and focusing on his hearing. He breathes in and out through his nose trying to block out the sound of skin on paper and the hum of the library's air conditioning.

"What kind of items?" he hears Jeremy ask casually.

"Stuff from my garden mostly; belladonna, aconite, verbena and the like," Kris replies.

"Deadly nightshade and monkshood are poisonous," Jeremy says. "Isn't it illegal to sell them?" Jeremy wonders aloud.

"I serve a very specific market," Kris offers. "That's a nice ring," Kris says.

Faintly, Tyler picks up the sound of Jeremy's elevated heartbeat but his response doesn't betray his nervousness. "It's a family heirloom," Jeremy says. "My sister thinks it's tacky, but I think it looks bad ass."

Tyler quickly shelves his books during the lull in their conversation. When he returns to Jeremy, Kris and the book cart, the conversation effectively dies. Tyler takes some satisfaction in the fact that he makes Kris uncomfortable. They work quickly and quietly after that and it takes them very little time to finish the shelving.

Unfortunately, the books in the storage cage aren't terribly useful since neither Tyler nor Jeremy can read them. Jeremy has enough high school French under his belt to get the general idea of one of the thick manuscripts, but he can't translate anything specific enough to glean any substantial information. Neither of them can read German either and the one book that's written in English is written in English so old it's practically another language.

They still end up spending more time at the library, with Kris, than Tyler is comfortable with. Mystic Falls isn't that far from Lynchburg, but Tyler wants to get home before dark. Of course, it's not in the cards, because Kris extends an invitation to a party on campus and Jeremy, convincing Tyler he doesn't have a shred of self-preservation, agrees before Tyler can object.

"Elena and Jenna aren't going to be happy if we get back too late," Tyler protests.

Jeremy rolls his eyes. "I'll text them. It'll be fine. Besides," he says with a significant look, "when was the last time we did anything remotely this normal?"

Tyler falls into step behind Jeremy and Kris with a sinking feeling in his stomach.


	6. IV Part III

**Disclaimer:**** If TVD were mine, I would shut down this Bonnie/Jeremy BS pronto.**

**A/N:**** Finally! I wrote it. I hope it works for you. I'm just happy to have finally wrapped up their trip to Randolph. Dominant!Tyler is entertaining to write, even though he only makes a bit of an appearance in this chapter. He'll be back in a bit.**

**There's a little bit of slash (pre-slash really) and a heart to heart. Let me know what you think!**

**BBB**

The party isn't as bad as Tyler thought it would be, but he's still unsure about standing around nursing a beer with Kris and Kris's girlfriend, Em. Em is a thin, athletic, darkly funny girl who puts Tyler even more on edge than Kris does. It was almost bearable when Jeremy was around to defuse the tension, but he's excused himself to find the bathroom and another drink, leaving Tyler alone with the couple.

"So how did you two meet?" Tyler asks, not really paying attention.

"My sister, Kate, got sick," Em replies stonily, "and Kris helped me deal."

"Oh," Tyler says, "did she get better?"

"No," Em answers, taking a long drink of her beer.

"I'm sorry. I lost my dad last year..." he offers.

"How'd it happen?" Kris asks.

Tyler bites his lip and shrugs. "There was a fire," he answers.

Kris nods and an uncomfortable silence blankets the trio. Em breaks it, fixing Tyler with a stare that makes him feel like he's some kind of fungus growing in a Petri dish, and asks "How long have you and Jeremy been friends?"

There's something in her tone that makes the hairs on the back of Tyler's neck stand up and he represses the urge to bare his teeth at her. "I've known him my whole life, but we weren't really friends until after my dad died," he states.

"You'd never know it," Kris remarks, peeling at the edge of his beer label.

Tyler shrugs and wonders if Jeremy has fallen in the toilet or something. Covering the motion with a stretch, he looks over his shoulder to check for Jeremy. The yard of the frat house isn't that big, though it's pretty crowded for the time of year, but Tyler doesn't see Jeremy on his first attempt. Tyler finally catches sight of him on his third 'stretch' in fifteen minutes.

Jeremy is standing near beer buckets at the other end of the yard, talking to a pocket-sized blond chick wearing too much make-up and a skirt that's barely legal. The skanky girl places her hand on Jeremy's arm and Jeremy's entire face lights up with laughter. Neither of them notices the brick-wall of a guy angrily stalking toward them, beer bottle in hand. Tyler's instincts go haywire and spots of red dance across his vision because Tyler knows the look on the meathead's face. It's identical to the one that Tyler used to wear whenever he spotted Jeremy and Vicki together. His feet are moving forward even as he calls "I'll be right back," over his shoulder at Kris and Em.

A muscle in Tyler's jaw begins twitching as he tries to push his way through the crowd, which is apparently attempting to become an impenetrable wall between him and Jeremy. He breathes harshly through his nose as he does his best to discreetly shove through the throng. Tyler breaks into the ring that has formed around Jeremy and the jock in time hear Jeremy say "We were just talking."

The jock's answering shove triggers something in Tyler's mind that makes him dig his fingernails hard into his palms and take the three steps necessary to put him between Jeremy and the drunken meathead. "Is there a problem?" Tyler asks menacingly, staring up at the jock.

Tyler can see the jock's pulse thumping in his temple as the meathead roars "Your buddy is trying to score with my girl!"

Restraining himself from ripping off the jock's arm and beating him with it until he understands that touching Jeremy is the exact opposite of what is allowed, Tyler laughs. "I bet he was just being nice," he says, sliding his arm around Jeremy's waist possessively and letting his hand come to rest on Jeremy's hip. "Right, babe?" Tyler asks, squeezing Jeremy enough to make the other boy realize that he needs to play along.

"Kelly was telling me how wicked the history department is," Jeremy says, surprising Tyler by leaning against him.

Tyler can't help the wolfish smile that crosses his lips at the jock's visible discomfort. "God damn, nerds are so hot," Tyler says, licking his lip and inwardly delighting in the fact that the jock flinches at the action.

"So hot," he repeats, angling to look at Jeremy. Tyler inclines his head toward where the opposite side of the yard where Kris and Em are standing. A dark, promising smile that Tyler has never seen before crosses Jeremy's face as the taller boy nods.

Tyler can't resist rattling the meathead's chains one last time as he ushers Jeremy in front of him to cross the yard. He places his hand between Jeremy's shoulder blades and trails in down to rest in the small of his back before turning and giving the douchebag jock and his slut girlfriend a smirk that he hopes believably conveys the message 'oh yeah, I'm tappin' that'.

Tyler doesn't remove his hand from Jeremy's spine when they finally make it back to Kris and Em. Jeremy tries to move away, but Tyler puts his arm back around Jeremy's waist. "You wanna let me go?" Jeremy hisses in his ear as Kris smiles uneasily.

"Is he still looking?" Tyler asks Em, ignoring Jeremy entirely. At her quick nod, Tyler leans as close to Jeremy's ear as he dares. To the outside observer it might look like Tyler is whispering sweet nothings to the other boy, but there is nothing sweet about what he whispers into Jeremy's ear. "I will not let you go until that jock you pissed off stops paying attention. Until then, you _will_ cooperate because if he touches you again I _will_ throw him across the fucking yard and I would rather not if it's all the same to you," Tyler states.

Jeremy swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing, and nods jerkily before starting up a conversation with Kris that Tyler pays no attention to. The adrenaline pumping in his veins makes it hard for Tyler to keep everything under control. Em has a little scar above her exposed collarbone that's so faint it nearly blends in with her skin and Tyler can hear at least ten different heartbeats at once. He stops drinking his beer because all he can taste is hops and glass and if he takes one more sip he might throw up. Jeremy's shirt is incredibly soft against his fingers and Tyler is unable to keep from brushing his thumb across it a few times to marvel at the texture. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't all happening at once and Tyler thanks God for small favours because his sense of smell is about the only thing he can hold in check.

"He's making out with his girlfriend now," Em states. "You can stop."

Tyler removes his hand from Jeremy's hip and steps away so that he can rub his temples without elbowing. There's too much going on and his head is beginning to ache. "Is he okay?" he hears Kris asks.

"I'm fine," Tyler insists, forcing his eyes open. The attack doesn't let up for the fifteen minutes Jeremy spends talking botany with Kris or the next twenty he spends pumping Em for information about Randolph College. It's the most agonizing thirty-five minutes of Tyler's life and he nearly collapses with relief when Jeremy finally thanks Kris for his help and tells Em it was nice meeting her.

Tyler's senses are still raging out of control when they get to the car. Wordlessly, he presses the keys into Jeremy's hand and stumbles to the passenger side. He pours himself into the seat and squeezes his eyes shut tight, praying that his body will stop going freaking out. He doesn't open them until Jeremy stops the car, thinking that they'll be at a gas station where Tyler can slink in and grab something to get the taste of glass out of his mouth.

Except they're not at a gas station, they're at one of the motels just out of the main part of town. "Uh, Jer, what's going on?" he asks, genuinely bewildered.

"We've both had too much to drink," Jeremy answers stiffly. "I already let Elena and Jenna know we wouldn't be coming home."

Tyler follows Jeremy out of the car and into the front office. The clerk behind the desk is chubby guy with greasy skin and Cheezie crumbs clinging to the corners of his mouth. Tyler doesn't really like how he has to hold his breath in order not to smell the clerk's stench, even though his nose is the only sense of his that's not freaking out. "King or two queens?" the clerk asks.

This time, Tyler doesn't tramp down the growl that bubbles out of his throat. The clerk's oily tone, his disgusting smell and the speculative way he looks at Tyler and Jeremy make Tyler want to reach over the counter and rip out his windpipe. Jeremy steps in front of Tyler, shoving him back with an elbow and giving him a disparaging look. "Two queens," he states, not rising to the bait.

"I need a credit card," the clerk oozes.

Tyler reaches into his pocket and steps around Jeremy, removing his credit card from his wallet. With the card in his palm, he brings both of his hands down on the counter loudly. "American Express?" he asks, hoping the clerk will say no.

"That's fine," the clerk answers shakily. Disappointed, Tyler pushes the card out from under his palm. The clerk takes it in his trembling fingers and Tyler smirks dangerously. The man yelps and almost drops the card when he tries to run it through, but manages. Tyler wipes the card on his jeans before putting it back in his wallet and taking the key the clerk puts down on the counter.

Jeremy falls in step behind him as Tyler stalks to room 17. It's not much to look at, once he wrestles the door open, but it doesn't smell totally horrible and his enhanced vision doesn't pick up any suspicious stains on the bed linens. It will do for just one night.

Tyler all but throws himself on the bed closest to the door and puts an arm over his eyes so that he doesn't have to pick out the spots on the ceiling that other people wouldn't notice. When he pulls his arm back, Jeremy is standing just in front of the closed door, staring at him.

Jeremy's fists are clenched at his sides and his mouth is set in a firm line. The expression on his face is one that Tyler hasn't seen in a long time, not since before Vicki disappeared. Tyler instantly bristles and sits up. He rubs his palms on his thighs to keep from balling them into fists.

"I didn't need your help," Jeremy says, defiantly staring Tyler in the eyes.

"Yes you did," Tyler replies.

Jeremy takes a step forward and Tyler stands. "I could have taken him!" Jeremy shouts.

"I'm sure," Tyler says cockily, as he steps to the side, unconsciously trying to circle Jeremy. "After all, he was only twice your size."

Jeremy steps in the other direction and they sort of circle each other warily. "He was bigger, sure, but I'm a better fighter," Jeremy spits.

"He would have taken you apart!" Tyler counters angrily, itching to grab the front of Jeremy's shirt, back him into the wall and intimidate him until he submits.

"Why? Because I'm just a weak pathetic little human that can't possibly take care of himself?" Jeremy asks.

"Is that what you think?" Tyler asks, the fight draining out of him.

Jeremy doesn't answer. He just stands across from Tyler, fists still clenched, jaw tight. Tyler runs his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "Seriously, Jer?" he asks. "Are you honestly jealous that you're not some kind of jacked up supernatural freak like me? Or Damon? Or Caroline and Matt? Is that what this is?"

Jeremy snorts derisively. "I'm not jealous, Tyler," he says. "I'm just tired of being rescued."

"Fuck man, I don't try to help you out because I think you're weak," Tyler states, bewildered. "You've faced shit that would get most people a tight jacket and a cozy room at the nut house. You aren't weak, okay?"

Tyler rubs the back of his neck and sits on the edge of one of the beds. "I can't speak for anyone else, dude," he says, staring at his hands, "but I couldn't help it. I saw that guy coming for you and I reacted. I don't think you're weak, but I know how easy it is for you to get hurt, even by accident. I couldn't let it happen."

The bed sags next to him as Jeremy sits down, but Tyler doesn't look away from his hands. "Sometimes I dream about what happened," Tyler murmurs, "and when I wake up; all I can smell is your blood."

Jeremy's puts a warm, heavy hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Look," Jeremy says, "what happened was an accident. It was just as much my fault as it was yours."

"In my head, I know that," Tyler admits, "I know we were just fucking around. But I killed you. You died and I watched it happen. There was sweet fuck all that I could do to stop it. So you'll have to excuse me for stepping in when I could actually prevent you getting hurt."

"Ty..."Jeremy begins.

"I know I'm gonna do it again too," Tyler says honestly. "If I'm there and you're gonna get hurt, I'm gonna step in when I can. I don't think I'll have a choice, either."

"What?" Jeremy asks.

Shaking off Jeremy's hand and standing to pace, Tyler tries to find the words to explain. "I wanted to help, but it wasn't just me. It was like instinct or something. My senses went nuts, except my nose, thank God. I couldn't get them back under control," he says.

"Are you okay now?" Jeremy asks, concerned.

"Yeah," Tyler replies, "mostly. Everything is sharper than normal, but it's nothing I can't handle. Did you find anything about that in those books?"

Jeremy shakes his head. "It was ninety percent bullshit. They didn't have the kind of information we're looking for," he states.

"Looks like I'm shit out of luck then," Tyler remarks.

"We're friends," Jeremy says, "which is why you can't beat the shit out of me for what I'm about to suggest."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Tyler asks.

Jeremy shakes his head. "I don't like it, and it's my idea."

"Well?" Tyler asks.

"Call Mason," Jeremy replies. "He's the only one that we know of that will for sure know what to expect."

"Fuck," Tyler curses.

"You know I'm right," Jeremy says.

Tyler nods. "Doesn't mean I have to like it," he pouts, sitting back down next to Jeremy. "Thanks," Tyler says, seriously, "for helping me with this. I know you don't have to."

"You're welcome. Just do me a favour," Jeremy replies.

"Sure," Tyler says, turning to face his friend.

Jeremy's dark eyes are full of mischief and his mouth quirks into a smile when he says, with all seriousness, "Next time you decide to use the fake boyfriend act to protect me, don't grab so hard. Elena's can handle the weird better than anyone I know, but I'm not looking forward to explaining the man-sized fingerprint bruises on my hips next time she catches me coming back from a shower."


End file.
